Long seen as a retirement outpost, the once sleepy town of George has quietly emerged as one of South Africa’s most desirable property hotspots.
Last week, a European buyer offered close to R85m for a four-bedroom mansion in Fancourt. The FM believes it’s one of three properties at the golf estate to fetch more than R80m year-to-date.
That means the Garden Route town at the foot of the Outeniqua mountains is giving Cape Town’s super-wealthy Clifton a run for its money.
Clifton, South Africa’s most expensive suburb with an average house price of R25m (according to Seeff and PropStats), has seen “only” two sales exceeding R80m in 2025. Clifton and Fancourt are the only neighbourhoods/estates in the country where residential properties are believed to have changed hands for more than R80m this year. Fancourt is also testing new rental highs, with a European “swallow” reportedly paying R100,000 a month — two years up front — for a luxury home on the estate.
Local agent Denzil Kleu of Denzil Kleu Properties says two of the three R80m-plus sales at Fancourt went to international buyers, setting a new benchmark for Garden Route property prices. He notes that Fancourt prices have more than doubled over five years — back in 2020 the highest price fetched was R37m.
The surge follows semigration and an influx of offshore buyers amid a growing shortage of stock. The R85m home, for which Kleu holds the sole mandate, is in Links Ridge on a stand just shy of 4,000m², with views of the golf course and the Outeniqua mountains.
Described as “a quiet refuge offering a perfect blend of elegance and comfort”, the fully furnished property includes four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a separate flatlet, a study, a pool, and no less than seven garages. Kleu says the buyer plans to use it as a holiday home.
Pieter Jordaan, licensee for Seeff George, says other housing estates in and around George have had similarly robust post-pandemic growth. He cites Kingswood Golf Estate, Welgelegen Estate, Earls Court Lifestyle Estate and Kraaibosch Country Estate, all of which have seen price increases of 60%–80% over five years.
Our roads are maintained, verges are mowed and traffic lights work. Going without water for days is unheard of
— Tim Kirby
Homes in these estates typically sell for R3.5m-R8m, with Kingswood recently breaching R10m. Still, Jordaan notes that the average transaction price in the George municipality for the 12 months to end-September was R2.48m, which he says offers good value, “especially compared with Cape Town”.
Latest Lighthouse data confirms rising homebuying activity in George’s upper end, with a 30% year-on-year increase recorded in R3m-plus sales in the first three quarters of 2025.
Unsurprisingly, there’s been a concurrent rise in air traffic at George Airport, underscoring the town’s growing appeal as a property investment and tourist hub. Latest figures from Wesgro, the Western Cape’s tourism, trade and investment agency, show two-way passenger volumes reached 654,549 from January to September — up 14% year-on-year.
So what’s driving the capital inflow into George’s property market? Jordaan cites the area’s quality of life, with good weather and easy access to Blue Flag beaches within a 20-minute drive. Other drawcards are good schools, a sense of community and an arts, culture and artisanal food scene. “George offers country living with big-city infrastructure in safe, clean and scenic surrounds,” says Jordaan.
Tim Kirby, Lew Geffen Sotheby’s international realty principal in George, says a functioning local government and well-maintained municipal infrastructure are major incentives. “Our roads are maintained, verges are mowed and traffic lights work. Going without water for days is unheard of.”
He says George Airport also plays a role. “We have many residents who’ve relocated from Gauteng but still run businesses there. They fly up from Tuesday to Thursday and spend the rest of the week here.”
The area also caters for golfers, bikers and hikers. George ranks high in medical facilities, including one of the country’s best provincial hospitals, with the highest doctor/specialist-to-patient ratio in South Africa. Kirby says the country’s “most advanced” Medi-Clinic is set to open in George in April. “We’re seeing a huge influx of highly skilled medical and other young professionals moving their families into town.”
He says George’s wide selection of gated developments is another plus, with estate living proving popular among the new wave of wealthier buyers.
Lighthouse data places George among South Africa’s top three semigration towns for three years running — alongside Mossel Bay and Somerset West (excluding major cities). The survey tracks homebuyers relocating between provinces.
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